Breaking Routine
by JustCallMeCal
Summary: When a certain uptight night guard gains a night shift partner for his own good and health, he never expected to break a routine he didn't even know he had, or to remember and learn more about his past. May go up to M at some point. Jeremike.
1. Something New

A/N: So, this is something I've had in my docs since last year and I just now came back to it. Just a story for the fun of it. (Which I'll probably loose interest in but I'll see how this goes) I had been in a pretty big Jeremike phase back when and this came out of my head. Decided to spruce it up, add in an old au of mine and finish it off. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes. I'm dead tired and need sleep, but this was too good not to finish off.

Disclaimer: I don't own FNAF. That belongs to good old Scotty boy.

-:-

Mike waited outside the pizzeria in the cold night air. He wasn't going inside that place yet for two reasons.

One: Those animatronics were literal killing machines. It was amazing that those things, made for children, could scare an adult out of their wits (Well, teenager.). It was hard for him to believe that they were made for that purpose. They all seemed terrifying to him. As if they should have long, sharp rows of teeth. Their suits like they should be worn down and old, patches and holes running across them, exposing wires and their bare endoskeletons. But those were just the nightmares talking to him.

Mike shuddered slightly at the thought, pulling his cap lower, covering a tender area of his head.

The only reason he was still even working in this hell hole was so he could pay off a few debts. God knew his parents needed it. And he had to repay them somehow. He didn't want to be considered a liability anymore, no matter how much they detested the idea.

As for the second reason: He was waiting for a new trainee to come around. Management had thought it would be better for both the company, and Mike's own health, to hire another guard. When he heard this, he rejected the option; he thought he could manage it on his own. He wasn't so handicapped that he couldn't function properly. But, he also didn't want to put anyone else in his position. He thought that another guard would only be another thing to look after, another object that could break.

But, managment had him overruled, and before he knew it, he was standing here in the middle of night waiting on someone he didn't even know. The only information he had on the guy was his name: Jeremy.

That name rang a bell in his head. He just didn't know why.

Mike shrugged it off, sighing, a steam of hot breath swirling in the cool air. He checked his watch.

11:45.

Newbie had fifteen more minutes before he'd have to give up and head in. Mike expected as much. He had been late on his first day as well. It hadn't helped he was dazed on that day too. It had taken him a while to get a handle of the ropes here, but he had a pattern he went through, except, he had to be in by midnight. Who knows what would happen if the animatronics were left to wonder freely. Not like they didn't already, it all seemed a little stupid really. But, the job paid, so, he had to put up with it. Even if it would be the death of him. But he managed to cheat death once, so why couldn't he do it again?

"E-excuse me?" A voice came from beside him.

Mike lifted his head.

To his left was a boy, probably 16, his age. He was a quite a bit shorter than him, only reaching to his shoulders. A brown fringe shadowed his eyes, longer strands falling to lightly touch the tips of his shoulders. He wore a pale blue uniform, much like his own. A cap was over his head, bearing a name tag. It read: Jeremy.

Jeremy was playing with the buttons on his coat, looking down at the ground as if he was nervous.

"You the new guard?" Mike asked.

Jeremy nodded his head and said (more like stuttered) a yes.

Mike pushed himself off the wall he leaned against and signalled Jeremy to follow him. He checked his watch again as they entered the pizzeria.

11:50.

Ten more minutes.

Mike had been through this routine more then he could count, but that didn't mean he was any less frightened by it.

He passed by the stage where the three main animatronics stood. The lighting was dull and dark, casting a sort of eerie shadow over them.

Suddenley, a yelp rang through the room.

Mike turned swiftly, but only found Jeremy staring up at the animatronics. It was the first time seeing his eyes, even if they were still covered slightly by his fringe; they looked up fearfully at the robots, shocked almost. But, there was something else about them. He couldn't pin point it, but, they looked familiar. All bright, cloudy blue, trembling slightly.

"Hey!" Mike yelled across the room. Jeremy jumped slightly, giving another yelp before turning and running to Mike.

"Sorry." Jeremy apologised.

"Those th-things just look so-"

"Creepy?" Mike interjected. Jeremy looked up at him, then back away.

"Y-yah."

Jeremy and Mike walked in silence the rest of the way, Jeremy glancing from side to side every now and again. He seemed paranoid. Did he know about what goes on here at night? Then, why would he take the job?

'You're being ridiculous.' He thought to himself. 'If anyone actually knew what went on here, they wouldn't come within a mile of this place.' He thought on that for a moment then realised how hypocritical he sounded. He chuckled slightly at this. It was likely the newbie would be gone by morning.

As Mike reached the office, the lights shut off. He heard Jeremy yelp again. Mike pulled him inside, not letting him stay out in the hall.

Jeremy shivered in his grip. He felt small and fragile. He would've called any other guy pathetic if they did that, but he had to remember, this place was basically it's own haunted house. Minus the fake horror figurines and replaced with animatronic animals. The night was only going to get worse for him.

"Don't worry," Mike said, reassuring Jeremy. "The lights will come on any moment now."

The next second, the lights in the office flickered and turned on, a pale yellow shade covering them.

Mike released his grasp on Jeremy, letting out a sigh as he flopped into the black swivel chair next to the desk. He pulled out a stool from underneath for Jeremy. Mike swivelled around in the chair to face him.

"Alright, here's how things work around here." Mike started eyeing Jeremy down, the short brunette seeming to shuffle uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I work the cameras, you check the lights and shut the doors only when I say so, got it?" The newbies eyes seemed to question him. Mike sighed as he twirled around in his chair, not giving Jeremy the time to reply or interject, grabbing the tablet that controlled the cameras, checking on the animatronics. They were all on stage. Thank god.

"Look, just don't question anything." Mike continued. "All I can say is, if you don't follow my rules, things will get ugly real fast." Mike glanced back at Jeremy.

He was sitting on the stool, looking slightly paler, but still trying to stay alert. Mike expected as much. He doubted he would make it through the night without passing out though, seeing as how small he looked. Especially if that bunny got to the door. The thing would probably give him a heart attack. Nearly gave him one on his first night.

But, all there was to do was wait now.

Time passed, Mike checked the digital clock on the tablet.

2:00.

Four more hours to go. None of the animatronics had moved yet, not even the bunny. But, it was Monday, things always were calmer earlier in the week.

Newbie seemed to be holding on fairly well. He was a bit fidgety, but he betted the stool wasn't to comfortable. Didn't help that Mike didn't bother to strike up a conversation. But, he needed to concentrate. If not, they were both dead before morning. He couldn't just chat and listen at the same time. It had become harder for him to multitask since his 'accident'. But, that was just the price to pay. It was just another annoyance he had to deal with all thanks to a few certain people.

Mike realised he was drifting off in his own thoughts, shaking his head to snap himself out of it. He checked the cameras.

The band was still there.

Mike sighed in relief, allowing himself to sink into his chair a little.

A thought like that would've caused him to be sooner dead any other day. Thank god the animatronics weren't very active tonight.

"D-do you know there names?" He heard Jeremy ask.

Mike stared back at him again. Jeremy was looking at the screen, staring intently at the animatronics. Mike sat himself up straighter in his chair, turning his attention back to the screen. He answered quickly and firmly, not liking to be distracted.

"Yah, they're Bonnie, Chica, and Freddy."

"Freddy is the bear?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes." Mike answered.

"And Bonnie is the bunny."

"Yep."

"And Chica is the . . . duck?" Jeremy hesitated.

"Chicken." Mike corrected him.

"But she has webbed feet. How is that possible?" Jeremy continued.

Mike sighed irritably. He wasn't in for a whole spiel on the anatomy of one of the animatronics. He needed to concentrate, and newbie needed to understand that.

He placed the tablet down on the desk, leaving it on as he twirled around to face Jeremy.

"Look, newbie, I'm not here to go on a whole iteration with you on why that thing is anatomically incorrect, I'm just here to get us through the night and survive this godforsaken hell we have to go through." Mike ranted. Jeremy seemed to small back a bit. "So, you need to get it through whatever brain you have that I can't simply chit chat to you about these things if you want to survive the night-"

"The camera fuzzed out." Jeremy interrupted.

Mike cursed, realising while had had been biting off the newbies ear he hadn't been paying attention to the cameras. The screen was still buzzing with static when he picked it up, phasing back only to see two animatronics on the stage now. Mike cursed again, checking all the cameras until he found the purple bunny in the supply closet.

He sighed in relief once again, his shoulders relaxing from their once tense position. He cupped his face in his hands, groaning slightly. That was a close one.

"I'm sorry." He heard Jeremy mutter quietly.

Mike removed his head from his hands, eyes closed tightly.

"It's not your fault." Mike said. He had to admit, it was rather harsh of him to nag newbie off for something so trivial. Especially on his first day. He was just high strung from to many sleepless nights, and maybe just a little bit paranoid. This job got to him after all, no matter how many times he tried to rub it off. But, that was just another price to pay. Just like everything else. There was always something to pay, wasn't there?

He sighed again, opening his eyes, concentrating on the cameras again. He glanced back at newbie who was staring at the floor, twiddling his thumbs.

Mike set down the tablet, and twirled around to face Jeremy again. Hell, he needed to break the ice eventually, and he might as well do it now before it caused problems for him on any of the other nights.

"Hey," He started, catching Jeremy's attention as he took his eyes off the floor, looking at Mike meekly.

"Sorry about . . . earlier. I just . . . I just get a little too stuck up in things sometimes." He continued. "I hope we can start from the beggining again. After all, I don't think I introduced myself." Mike realised how rude he must have seemed. So much for first impressions.

Jeremy's face seemed to brighten up as he grinned, chuckling.

"No problem." He replied.

Mike grinned slightly at newbie's happier face and held out a hand towards him.

"Name's Mike. Mike Schmidt." He said as Jeremy shook his hand only to stop suddenly. Jeremy stared at him wide eyed, shocked maybe?

Mike furrowed his brows. Did he have something on his face?

"What's up?" Mike asked, curious.

His question seemed to snap Jeremy out of whatever trance he had been in as the shorter male chuckled nervously.

"U-um, nothing. I . . . just thought that I had heard your name before is all." Jeremy stuttered. "Oh! And my name is Jeremy. Jeremy Fitzgerald."

Mike stared at Jeremy a few moments, confused, before shrugging it off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well then, Jeremy," Mike began as he directed his attention towards the tablet again.

"I guess you're stuck with me." He grinned slightly as he finished his statement. He heard Jeremy chuckle ever so slightly from the comment as he snarkily muttered, "Sadly." under his breath.

Mike's grin formed into a smile.

Maybe his nights would be just a little more interesting. And maybe he'd finally lay off the routine for a bit. Be a little less tense.

Maybe having a partner, wasn't so bad after all.

-:-

A/N: So, I guess just tell me how that was in the reviews. May or may not update this frequently depending on my interest, but I'll see how this goes. Till next time~


	2. The Mind Is An Interesting Thing

A/N: Hey guys! I'm so happy to see that this is getting such positive reviews! I'm so glad you are all intrigued and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter just as much or more!

And in response to a guest: Nope! I have quite a bit planned for this story but my updates are quite scattered and infrequent since I'm pretty busy most of the time. (Especially since I'm studying for my exams right now) And I'm working quite hard on each chapter as I want it average maybe 2,000-3,000 words a chapter. But don't worry! This is a story I'm not planning on giving up on!

 _ **-:- Last Chapter -:-**_

 _Maybe his nights would be just a little more interesting. And maybe he'd finally lay off the routine for a bit. Be a little less tense._

 _Maybe having a partner, wasn't so bad after all._

 ** _-:-_**

Mike entered his apartment, dead tired, only to hear the sounds of animated gun fires. He cringed and sighed in defeat, knowing what was going to come next. He braced himself as he walked to the living/kitchen/dining room fusion and saw his flatmate playing what looked to be _Galaga . . . ._ again. He sat cross legged on the floor, eyes glued tightly to the screen.

"Hey, Mikey!" His flatmate announced excitedly as he turned around, still seemingly playing the game as his fingers fiddled with the controls. Mike always wondered how he could do that.

"Hey, Fritz," Mike said with less excitement as he plopped onto the couch, resting his head back on the arm.

Fritz just so happened to be his flatmate/older not related by blood brother/tutor/over protective parent and best (maybe his only) friend. The hyper, clumsy and partial kleptomaniac happened to be in such a predicament all thanks to his parents. They wanted someone to supervise him since he was, essentially, still in school (even though he missed over maybe half of those years) and not yet a full fledged adult. He was, sadly for him, only sixteen. Yah, real shocker, he knew. How could a sixteen year old, taking home schooling, be out on their own already? Well, thanks to his parents and their lousy assumptions that he just 'Couldn't make it like that!' (even though he fully well knew he could), he was stuck with this.

Not that he had many qualms with it. It was nice to have at least some company. Even if that 'company' could get hyperactive with one cup of coffee and would constantly talk afterwards. There was no stopping him.

"So, how was it tonight?" Fritz asked.

Mike lifted his head to see Fritz's eyes nearly buzzing, he couldn't sit still either; he was bouncing up and down on his crossed legs. Mike stared at him for a moment.

"How many cup-"

"Only one!" Fritz interrupted.

Mike continued to glare at him.

" . . . so there, might have, sorta been, some candy on sale in those bulk bags and I might have eaten just a few."

"Specify 'just a few'."

"I ate the whole bag," Fritz let up.

Mike continued to glare at him until he finally decided he was too tired to lecture the sugar crazy, caffeinated man. Mike swore that Fritz was basically just a kid in a twenty two year olds body. It's amazing he even made it on his own. Sometimes, he acted more like the parent than Fritz did.

"Ok, no, but seriously," Fritz turned off the television and set the controller on top of it, crawling over to Mike and sitting beside him. Mike groaned knowing he was going to do one of his typical 'parental check ups' on him.

"How was it tonight?"

Mike grabbed a pillow and put it on his head, squeezing it to his face. This happened almost every night he came home from work. It was annoying. But what made it especially annoying was the fact that he was tired on top of it all. It wasn't easy when you balanced your schooling and a wacky job schedule all in one. You either stayed up all night or slept in all day. Most likely both.

"If waf fime," Mike mumbled from underneath the pillow.

"What?" Fritz asked.

Mike raised the pillow slightly from his head saying, "I said, 'It was fine.'!" then plopping it back down onto his face.

"How 'fine'? Fine-fine or fine-not that great-fine?" Fritz continued.

Mike grumbled and took the pillow off his face, shoving it back on the couch as he got up and walked to his bedroom.

"Fine-fine," He answered groggily as he reached his door. He was too tired to deal with any more of Fritzs' babble. He heard Fritz chuckle.

"You know, Mike," He began. "You really are still a kid."

Mike flinched at his statement, furrowing his brows. "How so?" He asked with slight hesitation. He knew he just had to walk off if he didn't want to hear Fritz talk about it. He'd understand. He always did. But that meant another talk later. Mike hated them. That's usually why he stuck around.

"Oh, just by the way you talk to me sometimes. Like right now, you're talking like a child who finished an active day at the amusement park and just wants to rest. When you become my age, you recognize those things!" Mike sighed inwardly, relaxing. Thank god.

'You'd be saying otherwise if bloodthirsty animatronics tried to stuff you into a suit all night long,' Mike thought. It was even worse with the nightmares.

"You aren't _that_ old Fritz," Mike countered halfheartedly as he began to open the door.

"Yah, but I think twenty-two is old enough to notice a thing or two." Mike chuckled in response.

" _Good night_ , Fritz!" He emphasized, trying to tell him that the conversation was over as he hurried inside his room.

"Don't you mean 'Good morning'?" Fritz yelled before Mike shut the door on him.

 _ **-:-**_

Mike watched headlights of cars flash by outside the window as he sat in his booth, his eyes glazed over in thought. He held a cup of coffee in one hand, taking a sip of it from time to time, trying to stay awake and calm. He still shook slightly.

He had another nightmare. It was normal for him, happened almost every night, didn't mean he wasn't scared though. He knew he always would be, it was something he would carry around for the rest of his life. His job didn't help with the nightmares either, it usually only provoked them to occur more frequently. It was amazing how vulnerable they made him feel, just like he was a little kid again. But who was he kidding, he technically still was. He wondered if that would change once he hit eighteen. He doubted it. He had the nightmares as a kid, and still does. Something that traumatic doesn't just disappear.

When he first had the nightmares, his parents said they would dissipate in time, it was just a symptom of his trauma. Even the doctors said so. Just a symptom. Mind you, he wasn't helping himself when he worked a six hour shift at the same place those freaks were at. He bet, that as long as he had that job, they wouldn't begin to fade any time soon. But he needed it, after all, Fritz now had two to pay for and he needed the extra help. It was the least Mike could do. He'd do more if he was allowed. If he could. But he'd most likely shut down. Just a symptom from his trauma once again. Put too much stress on the brain, and it will shut down, almost like a short blackout.

For him, when he 'shuts down', it's only like a small nap, never usually longer than twenty minutes. That was alright. He never had any problems if he did shut down, and he could usually tell when he was at his limit. He'd go a little easier on himself for awhile, and let himself relax. Sometimes he'd even take time off work. Fritz understood most of the time and luckily his boss was a fairly flexible person. He guessed that was one good thing about having a partner now. He could take his place when need be. Bad thing was, he'd probably ask about it the next day. Hopefully, he wasn't a nosy person. He didn't seem like it; he seemed too shy for that. That's all he could hope for. What was his name again? He remembered it started with a 'J'. Jack? Jake? Jeremiah?

"Hey, Mike." A small voice said.

Mike turned his head, snapping out of his thoughts. In front of his booth stood Jere-whatever-his-name-was. He raised a brow in curiosity.

"Um, hey," Mike began, trying to avoid calling him by something that may not be his name. "What are you doing here?" It was still early till their shift.

"Oh, just getting some coffee." At this 'J' yawned, rubbing some sleep out of his eyes. "Still getting used to the schedule. Never thought I'd be working at twelve in the morning." Mike knew that feeling all too well.

There were a few moments of awkward silence before 'J' spoke.

"Um, can I sit here?" He asked, that same shy, soft voice appearing again like the night they first met. "I-if you're alright with that." He saw his face blush. Heh, it was kind of cute. Adorable even.

Mike gestured towards the seat in front of him. "Sure, be my guest." 'J' said a quiet 'Thank you,' in response as he took his seat. Shortly after 'J's coffee arrived. Mike noticed the name on the cup.

'Jeremy'. Now he remembered. Thank god. Although, with his mind, he could never really trust his memory all that well.

"So, um, Mike," Jeremy began after taking a sip of his coffee. He had winced slightly at the heat. "When did you start? The job, I mean."

Mike quickly repositioned himself as he answered. "About maybe a year ago. Not quite sure." Time was another thing he didn't manage well. The short hours between twelve and six were plenty enough for his brain to comprehend as it was. Especially with killer animatronic's to worry about.

Jeremy chuckled. "Well, either way, you've worked longer than I have. Guess that means I can call you my 'senior'." Mike huffed, amused at this. 'Senior'. He wasn't even 18, let alone his 'senior'. Although, seeing as how Jeremy was probably around his age, he could settle with that.

"Heh, I guess you can. Just don't start calling me 'old timer' or else," Mike mused. It seemed he startled Jeremy for a moment before his 'junior' realised his humour. He mustn't have expected him to have such a sense of humour. Just cause he was a little stiff didn't mean he didn't have a sense of humour.

"Ok, I think I can do that." A small smile appeared on Jeremy's face. It fit him well. Mike took notice how, even though it wasn't a large smile, his eyes lit up along with it.

'How cute.' He thought.

Before he knew it, it was time to head off to work. Him and Jeremy both at that point had been talking for what seemed like ages. It was nice. Quite a contrast to the chats he had with Fritz. He laughed and even had a few relatable moments as they both reminisced about a few childhood memories. He guessed this was how it felt to talk to a friend rather than a parental figure. It was different. A good different.

Mike and him stepped outside, a cool breeze rushing them in the summer heat. He heard Jeremy sigh in content.

"Well, guess we better get going." Jeremy turned to him and waved. Smiling. "See you there."

Mike found himself a little enthusiastic for tonight's shift. He felt a smile crawl onto to his face, waving back.

"You too."

 _ **-:-**_

A/N: Phew! Second chapter done and done. Decided to give y'all some information about Mikey in this old AU and a little bit of development for him Jeremy. Hopefully the dialouge between them ain't too boring. I'm not the greatest at that. Please tell me if it is and how I could improve if so! I had a lot of fun writing for Fritz though! He's a pretty quirky dude. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this long awaited chapter! Till next time~


	3. A Living Nightmare, A Dream Awaits

A/N: As I've said, I have severely infrequent updates so, sorry for the wait. Btw, wow am I glad this is an AU fic cause apparently Mike Schmidt is basically Micheal Afton now. (well according to Dawko's theory) Phewy. Thanks for all your mind bending Scott and thank goodness it won't effect this fic! (Cause I ain't planning on putting Sister Location in here since I thought of this right after FNAF 4 came out) Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy!

-:- **Last Chapter** -:-

 _Mike found himself a little enthusiastic for tonight's shift. He felt a smile crawl onto to his face, waving back._

 _"You too."_

-:-

Of course, as soon as he got to the pizzeria, he was quickly beginning to regret being so enthusiastic for a shift.

When he and Jeremy got into the office and the lights went out, Jeremy squeaked.

"You ok?" Mike asked, checking the time on the tablet. 12:00, like usual.

"Y-yah. Just, d-don't like the dark is all." At that, the lights in the office came on. He heard Jeremy sigh in relief.

It was the second night in the week. The animatronic's were going to be more active tonight. It was a routine. Monday's were his easiest days, Friday's were the worst. He didn't even want to know what the weekend shift gaurd went through. The fifth night would be a challenge even if he did have a partner now. He just hoped, and this went for every week, that he would survive again. Same went for Jeremy. He just hoped Jeremy wasn't stupid enough to not follow his directions when it got serious.

Jeremy checked the halls, no animatronic's yet. Mike checked the tablet. Bonnie had moved to the dining area. The bunny always did give him a hassle.

"So, Mike," Jeremy said, breaking the building tension. "Why'd you get this job? It's kind of a living nightmare after all."

Mike chuckled, smiling as he put down the tablet, trying to conserve their power. What he did like about having a partner so far was that it allowed for some good company. But what Jeremy had said was correct; figuratively and literally. For himself, it really was his living nightmare.

"I have to help my 'roommate' out with rent somehow. Can't just lay in bed like a vegetable." Fritz, however, didn't quite approve of him working, especially with his condition. But he felt like he was just mooching off of him if he sat around doing nothing. He already did that for almost three years of his life. He wasn't going to allow his 'disability' to get in the way. He knew himself well enough to control it somewhat after all.

Jeremy chuckled. "I understand. But, why you are still here is what I'm really curious about. I would've thought that you would've been out of here as soon as you could once you learned these things were trying to kill you."

Mike lost his smile as Jeremy questioned him. The thing he didn't like about having a partner, was how nosy they could be. He did have to give it to Jeremy however for not pushing it too far.

Mike went to the other door and checked the hall as silence filled the room again. Nothing so far.

"I would like to know the same thing actually," Mike retorted, slightly agitated. He was becoming stressed. "Most newbies would've been outta here yesterday if not earlier."

It seemed that Jeremy hadn't been expecting his retort as he fumbled in his chair, looking away from him as he checked the hall, hesitating.

"W-well I-I guess it's kind of for the same reason that you got this job. I've got to pay my way through too." Mike could've sworn he saw the slightest hint of pink on Jeremy's cheeks as he turned back.

He decided to leave the topic at that. If he didn't want Jeremy prodding on his personal life, he wouldn't prod on his especially when he seemed as hesitant to answer as he had.

Mike slid back to the tablet and checked on the rabbit. It had moved backstage, staring into the camera with white pupils and a vacant expression. Mike yelped and dropped the tablet at the fright. He gripped his head along the front as he leaned over the table shivering slightly, those sharp teeth and glaring purple eyes scaring him to his core.

"Mike? Mike! Are you alright?" Jeremy yelled, alarmed.

'Breath, dammit!' Mike thought as he tried to recover his normal breathes, realising how quick and shallow they had become.

"I-I'm fine, Jeremy. Just, keep checking the lights," Mike assured him as he caught his breath. It had been awhile since he'd had a scare like that. He was happy that it had been. He wished it could've stayed that way.

He saw Jeremy hesitate to back away until he resumed checking the halls, glancing back at him every so often.

As Mike calmed himself, he picked up the tablet; it trembled in his grasp. The bunny was no longer looking into the camera, only standing in the backstage room. Mike sighed in relief then checked on the other two and pirates cove. Foxy had just begun to peek out from behind the curtain, luckily Freddy and Chica stayed on stage. Mike checked the time. 2:00. Looks like lady luck wasn't bothering to help much tonight.

He heard Jeremy move his chair as he sat next to him.

"I could take the tablet for you if you need it," Jeremy inquired softly as he rested a hand on one of Mike's trembling shoulders. He noted how softly he touched him, carefully and cautiously as if not to scare him.

Mike looked back at Jeremy, a hand out gesturing for the tablet. He looked him square in the eye, watching how his bangs fell just above his eyelids so softly. He wondered how soft they really were. His eyes seemed to gesture a command even though his words had been a question. It was interesting seeing him as such a leading contrast to when they first met.

Hesitantly, Mike handed over the tablet, about to show Jeremy how to use it until he realised how quickly he zoomed through the cameras. He thought it odd at first, but it was pretty simplistic he guessed. And, even though he was anxious about it being out of his hands, he was glad he didn't have to look at that thing for the rest of the night.

As the hours passed, he watched as Jeremy slowly took control of the situation, watching as his hands smoothly glided from camera to camera, eyes going from place to place. He was quite amazed at how fast he went for being a newbie, but he wasn't handicapped after all.

Mike stared at Jeremy, simply enjoying his laid back posture as he sat so comfortably in his chair, wondering how he seemed so calm. He almost seemed taller than him, older, more mature in that position. Taking the situation in a sort of stride. He was entertained by his lax jaw and wandering eyes, looking as if they were constantly, quietly thinking to themselves. He liked how Jeremy's hair fell at the back of his neck, much like his bangs, falling softly against the skin. For a second, he let his mind wander over his skin, as he mentally trailed along the hem of his collar and down his sleeves, up to his hands and gentile fingers. He trailed back up along his arm, up his neck and back to his face. He trailed his lips, slightly apart, and up the bridge of his nose until he met his soft brown eyes as they stared back at him.

Mike went red, quickly breaking his wandering gaze along Jeremy. What had he been doing! What had he been thinking! Why had he done that! He should've been paying attention to the doors, not his partner! He mentally cursed himself for his actions and told himself to focus. He swore he could've heard Jeremy chuckle as he checked the halls.

-:-

Mike sighed in relief along with Jeremy when the bell had rung for the end of their shift. Jeremy had leaned back in the chair, dropping the tablet on the table as he stretched. He had been more stressed than Mike had thought. He was good at hiding that, Mike learned.

He and Jeremy exited the building, watching the sun rise from behind the surrounding ones. Jeremy yawned and stretched again, Mike remembered just how short he was when they stepped out. He had become that small newbie again and the man he had seen that night was gone.

"Well, looks like we survived again," Jeremy said as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm pretty tired." He turned to Mike and smiled.

"It was great working with you again! Will I see you tomorrow night at the coffee shop?"

Mike stared at Jeremy, wondering how he could've gone from mature adult back to small teenager so quickly before smiling in return.

"Sure will."

-:-

A/N: Shorter chapter, but hey! It's here and I hope y'all enjoyed it! Had a lot of fun writing this chapter! (one certain moment in particular *wink wink*) Sorry I keep y'all waiting for months, but I think that's just how it's gonna be since I'm working on other things right now! But, I know y'all who really enjoy it will stick around! See you guys next time! ~


	4. Wandering Thoughts Lead To

A/N: Hey, look! Ain't this surprising that I actually updated a little bit sooner! Anyways, hope y'all enjoy!

-:-

When Mike got home, he was happy to see Fritz passed out on the couch as the television played static. He turned it off and went to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him as he turned on the shower.

He began unbuttoning his shirt when he saw his reflection in the mirror. He took off his hat that he forgot he had as he stared at his head. There was a long, semi circular section of it that was completely bald. It was thin and far back enough to cover with a hat. Sometimes, if he felt like it, he would style his hair to cover it as best he could.

Mike reached up to the tender area, touching it ever so slightly. Most would expect him to remember the moment it happened. Most people would expect him to describe that moment to a tee. So vividly that they could almost imagine being in his place. In truth he could barely remember any of it. He remembered bits and pieces from that day, but it was mostly hazed over. He only remembered that it had been his birthday. His brother and friends had been picking on him until suddenly there was an excruciating amount of force and pain applied to his head.

Mike shivered as he brought back his hand, still staring at the scar.

He wished he didn't remember anything. But most of all, he wished he didn't remember the pain. The pain was the worst part. He would still spasm when ever he thought about it. How intense it had been even if it was only for a few moments. He hated to think about who caused him that pain, even if it had been unintentional. At least, as far as he knew. His family had filled him in on the gaps as best they could when he woke up.

Mike shook himself of his thoughts as he noticed the steam coming from the shower. He unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and pulled off his pants as he stepped in, letting the water fall onto him. He faced away, always bearing in mind the scar.

He remembered the amount of friends his brother had with him at the time, three. But he could never remember their faces. He didn't even know their names. He wanted to say that he could thank his parents for leaving that out, for not becoming a spiteful person, but at the same time he was curious. He wanted to know more, specifically remember more. He felt he could trust all of their information better if he did have his memories. He guessed, somewhere deep down in the depths of his subconscious, that's why he took the job he has now, along with all its horror. To remember. Now he was questioning whether it was even worth it. At least he had a partner now. He hadn't realised how much it helped him.

Mike thought about it for a moment. His partner, Jeremy, he swore he had heard the name before. Somewhere in his dislodged memories, it was poking at him. It bothered him, but not to any great extent, just enough to wonder. Had he been a friend of his? Had he been some stranger he had fleetingly met in passing? It was just another mystery he couldn't solve. He decided to throw it at the back of his pile of dismembered thoughts as he turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he stepped out. He opened the window to let the steam roll out into the morning air.

As he dried himself off, he stared at himself in the mirror once again.

Speaking of Jeremy, he was small, smaller than him, and he wasn't even that sizeable when he thought about it. All he really was beneath his clothes was flesh and bone, no muscle or fat. It had been a problem since he left the hospital. Spending almost three years of your life being fed through feeding tubes with necessary vitamins and minerals to sustain yourself didn't exactly give you the greatest body. He never had been a larger boy from what he remembered, but those three years hadn't helped his body grow much more. In fact, he was probably worse off than he was when he was a kid.

As he stared at himself, he saw his ribcage almost daring to peek out from under his skin. His cheeks were slightly sunken, not as bad as they had been, they could've been worse. All he really was was tall and lanky minus the tall factor. Even his shoulders and hips were mostly small and thin. There wasn't much too him. Most people wondered how fragile he was half the time. Fritz had been severely cautious around him when they first met. But, he quickly learned that he's not that soft. He could probably take a few blows if need be. But he had to admit, he did bruise easily.

He compared himself to Jeremy in this moment. Even though he couldn't see his skin through his clothes, Mike could tell he was definetley bigger than himself. Jeremy may have a small frame, but in the end, he probably had more muscle behind him. He reminded him of a track athlete. Lean upper body, thick lower body. That's what he had gathered on their first night when he had grabbed Jeremy, holding him so tightly to his chest. He remembered how afterwards, he actually liked being a little bigger than somebody for once. Even if it wasn't exactly true.

Mike crossed over to his room when he finished drying himself, grabbing some boxers from his drawers and slinking under the covers of his bed. He tossed and turned, thinking he just needed the right position to sleep. He tried that for a while, unable to sleep. Instead, he decided to let his mind wander to wherever it had plans to go.

It decided to think about Jeremy. Specifically how small Jeremy had been when he had held him in his arms, wrapped up like a small bundle of silky brown hair and foggy brown eyes. It then thought about his contrast when Jeremy had seemed so big sitting with his tablet, taking charge and making him feel so incredibly small. It thought about how his hair draped over his eyes ever so slightly, along his neck and grazing his cheeks, he wondered how it didn't bother him. He thought about his thin, long fingers and how they ventured so smoothly and sat so perfectly. And he thought about his gaze. Those foggy eyes suddenly becoming ice as they glared almost beyond him. And how they softened when it all ended becoming those orbs of thick foggy glass once again.

He thought about how he liked the way Jeremy had made him feel. He had had the capability to make him feel so big and strong one moment, and then suddenly reduce him to such a childish and vulnerable state. He liked feeling those things. He liked what it evoked from himself. He wanted it to happen more, he wanted those feelings back. He wanted-

Mike shook himself from his thoughts as he blinked, staring up at the ceiling. He felt a heat in his cheeks as his heart raced.

What the hell? What was that? Why did he think that? That was the second time tonight. What was going on? Why did he feel so excited? So energised? What the hell was wrong with him?

Mike groaned as he grabbed a pillow and shoved it on his head.

He didn't know and he didn't want to know. Whatever it was, it would be the last thing on his mountain of worries to care about. They were only thoughts after all.

What harm came from them?

-:-

A/N: So I'm thinking (if y'all haven't guessed by now because of my cruddy skills of foreshadowing) y'all know who Mr. Mikey is now! Ya, not a big surprise but I liked the theory quite a lot at the time so that's what I'm sticking with! Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! See y'all next time! ~


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